The night holds its fair share of mysteries, but feeding cows is no longer one of them. With the release of Monarch® Autodrive™ in the MK-V Dairy for pushing feed in outdoor dairy lanes, Monarch was the first to bring a fully autonomous tractor operation to market. And now, Autodrive brings feed pushing into the night for 24/7 feeding operations.
Night Mode Unlocked
Dairy farmers are known for being up before the sun rises. While the world sleeps, there’s still work to be done. There are benefits that come with enabling driverless feed pushing in the MK-V Dairy tractor for those hours when the sky is dark.
Extended Feeding Times
While dairy cows are attracted to fresh food and will graze during the day, they tend to be most active in the early morning and at dusk. Feeding cows at these times aligns with their natural biology.
Shhhh
Nighttime is a quiet time, and electric dairy machinery reduces noise and emissions compared to diesel-powered equipment. Because Monarch’s MK-V Dairy tractor is an electric tractor, it maintains a calm, restful environment for the cows.
Stress Reduction
Access to more feed can reduce stress and competition at the feed bunk, leading to relaxed, happier cows overall.
Our cows are making more milk simply by ensuring feed is pushed correctly, and the labor savings are huge. With the electric, autonomous tractor pushing feed consistently, I’m expecting an increase in milk production — probably 1-2 pounds per cow each day.
Gerben (Hein) Hettinga, Owner, GH Dairy
More of What Dairies Need
Driverless feed pushing brings a consistent, reliable feeding schedule to a farm, boosting profitability, milk production, and labor efficiency. And unlike autonomous dairy feeders that run on a track, the MK-V Dairy is advanced dairy machinery that does all the work of a compact tractor, making it useful for other operations like mowing, hauling, or transporting calves.
The MK-V Dairy goes beyond autonomy; it’s also an electric tractor and smart. Dairy farms save on diesel costs through electrification and gain real-time insights through the MK-V Dairy tractor’s cameras and Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI) technology.
WingspanAI is huge for accountability because you can simply pull up the WingspanAI platform, show it to a team member and say, 'Feed only got pushed five times last night. Like what happened?'
Brock Peters, General Manager, MVP Dairy
Taking advantage of the electric tractor being a battery tractor, the MK-V Dairy is engineered to also work as a portable power wall. Enjoy instant access to power anywhere on your farm by plugging your tools into the MK-V Dairy’s 110V or 220V outlet.
Helping Farms Grow
Autonomous feed pushing at night is just one example of how Monarch is expanding autonomous operations both within and across markets. Monarch’s driver-optional, smart, and electric tractor continues to improve with new developments. Because the MK-V is engineered with connectivity, new functionalities are pushed into the tractor through software and firmware updates, even for those who have already purchased their tractor. Payback starts on day one and grows from there.
For dairy farmers with the MK-V Dairy, nighttime feed pushing operations have never looked brighter.
